Adequate
by tornsunflowers
Summary: Spain gets in trouble at a world meeting.


Ludwig's briefcase slammed shut, making Lovino jump slightly in his seat. He grabbed the cup of coffee in front of him and looked around fervently; nobody was paying attention to him so it was safe to assume that they had not noticed him almost falling asleep. This fact made him angrier than if he had been lectured, what right did they have to not pay attention to him? He was about to demand an explanation when he noticed Antonio's expression. He was staring intently at a small chip in the meeting table and had not begun to put his papers away.

"Why are you just sitting there? Hurry up jerk and then we can all go home!"

Antonio's face changed while Lovino was talking, a smile instantaneously spreading across his features as he begun gathering his documents, sweeping them into his briefcase without organising them.

"Not so quick my darlings, the food is ready," Francis swept from his seat and out of the room, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind him. He returned after a minute; an group of waiters gently laying plates in front of everyone. Francis waited until they had all left before sitting down again, "enjoy!"

Lovino watched as everyone else began eating. If they were not going to be brave enough to mention it, he would have to, "you can't expect us to eat this?" A few exasperated sighs reached his ears.

"Is something wrong with your dinner?"

"It's too dry. Food isn't a meal if it doesn't have some sauce. I'm surprised you did not serve us Frog's legs!"

"Do not be ridiculous Lovino," looking at Arthur's plate showed that he was struggling with the rich fare as well, "Francis would not be able to serve us Frog legs. If he had done so, how would he be able to walk to the next meeting?"

"Oh, very funny. How about you eat your food and get out of my house?"

"That is no way to talk to a guest, where are your manners Francis? Lovino, I have some Ketchup if you really can not cope without tomatoes for one meal."

"If you put that pseudo flavouring on my cooking I'll never let you come back!"

"Drat, I should have actually brought some with me then. I shall remember for next time."

"I am going outside for a break," after Ludwig's departure most of the room was silent, apart from the continued bickering about condiments and Lovino sighed loudly, pushing his plate away and staring at the table.

Fifteen minutes later a bowl appeared in front of him. He looked up and saw a flustered Antonio smiling as he sat down, "I thought you might enjoy this more." The bowl contained pasta in a tomato and basil sauce, "it is quick-cook pasta though, I hope you don't mind but it's all they had in the store."

"It will do," he began eating the meal, trying to frown so that Antonio would not think he was enjoying it. He expected Antonio to have a bowl and was surprised when he resumed picking feebly at Francis' offering.

"Sorry about the delay; Gilbert found out there was a meeting and has been arguing with me for the past twenty minutes about how he should be involved in world affairs." Ludwig returned to his seat and paused, "Lovino, what is that?"

"Dinner."

His words were measured and spoken low, "why do you have it?"

"I'm hungry."

"How did you get it?"

"Antonio made it," Lovino did not understand why Antonio made a slight groan and he looked up to see Ludwig's face wearing an expression like thunder.

"What did we just talk about Antonio?"

"He was hungry."

"He had food!"

"He wasn't going to eat what Francis gave us; I couldn't let him starve."

"He won't starve after one meal! Go out into the corridor!"

"Why?"

"I thought we had discussed this like grown-ups but if you insist on acting like a spoilt child you will not do so around me."

Lovino thought for a moment that Ludwig was addressing him and was attempting to come up with a witty retort when Antonio stood and shuffled out of the room.

The rest of the meal passed without any major incidents and Lovino immediately converged on his brother after everyone else had left, walking towards the exit with him. "What was the meeting about? I got bored part way through the introductions and couldn't be bothered to listen to the rest."

"Ludwig was so angry." Lovino smirked, he liked it when Ludwig was unhappy, it made up for their past in the slightest of ways. "He shouted at Antonio for almost an hour about wasting money and said that, if he kept doing it, he would end up kicking him out of the Eurozone and leaving him without any support!"

They had reached the doorway and his brother bounded away, trying to catch up with Ludwig who had been talking with a dejected looking Antonio before they arrived. Antonio's face lit up when he saw Lovino, "did you like the food?"

"It was barely adequate, jerk," Lovino began storming past him and paused, Feliciano's words ringing in his ears, "come over to mine tonight and I'll show you how you should cook pasta."

Antonio fell into step beside him, "I'm glad you liked it."

"Shut up, I never said that."


End file.
